The teams were each named after Sabres alumni; the late Reggie Fleming, who passed away this summer at the age of 73, played for Buffalo in its inaugural season in 1970-71. Iouri Khmylev, currently an amateur scout for the team, played for Buffalo from 1992 to 1996 and Larry Playfair, president of the Sabres Alumni Association, played from 1978 to 1989.

The format of the tournament includes three 15-minute periods with a running clock. The teams play the first two periods, and the first five minutes of the third period with five-on-five units. The remaining 10 minutes of the third period is played four-on-four, followed by a shootout.

The game technically ends with the five-on-five play; the four-on-four play / shootout do not affect the final score.